


Of Happy Endings

by neytah



Series: oty+lauren [9]
Category: X Factor (UK) RPF
Genre: Multi, hella lauren centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-09
Updated: 2014-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-28 19:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2744879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neytah/pseuds/neytah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's over, but it's not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Happy Endings

It isn't a surprise, she saw it coming. She was surprised she made it through last week, so she happy enough to have made it this far. She should feel sad though, at least a little bit. But strangely, she doesn't.

Maybe it's because they're there, but she doesn't think so. It's good thought, to have the four of them waiting backstage with open arms.

She remembers when it was last like this, two weeks ago. She was crying, she remembers. She isn't now. And Mikey picks her up and swings her around; she squeals, laughing.

She's just so happy to see them.

They follow her to hair and makeup, where she needs to get ready for Xtra Factor. And they're able to talk like they haven't since they left. Lauren can't wipe the smile from her face as they talk of performances and interviews, of innuendo bingo and Parisa's 21st. In between applications of mascara she watches the Radio 1 video on Betsy's phone. She can't stop laughing.

"It was funny then, but I was so cold!" Betsy exclaims. But Lauren laughs at that too, unable to stop herself.

"You guys are crazy," Lauren says.

"Yeah, but you love us." Parisa says.

It's true.

So she goes and talks to Sarah Jane in her pink dress and sparkly shoes. And she still doesn't feel sad. She feels so strangely removed from it all, like it's happening to someone else.

I mean, it does hurt that she's not gonna be bunking with Fleur anymore, and a little bit that she won't be singing on that stage. But she's not sad, per say. It's not over, she knows, not at all.

Part of her wants to go straight to her new hotel room, pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist until she's caught up on sleep. But she's so wired, ready to be awake and keep living, not wanting to stop.

As it ends up, she hangs wit the four of them in her dressing room, for over an hour, Cheryl says. It's a bit of a tight squeeze, but she's never minded being close to them. So nestled up close to Charlie, they recount their weeks apart.

For Lauren, it was sickness, more terrifying for her than she let on to anyone. She so feared making a fool of herself up on that stage, her voice cracking or singing in the wrong key. Betsy tells her how the watched each show, cuddled up on the couch together to watch her perform. Parisa mentions Charlie tearing up a bit at her first sing off; he shoves her, embarrassed.

And the four of them recount their tales, the post X Factor adventures that Lauren will soon experience. Interview after interview, performing and meeting fans. They talk about Parisa's 21st, too, just a few days ago, which Lauren missed. ("I wish I could've made it," Lauren says. "It's okay, you had important X Factor things to do.")

They have to go, eventually. This time, they goodbye is far less teary; they'll see each other tomorrow anyways. And the four of them head off to the hotel where all the contestants are staying, for the final's performance.

Lauren has a lovely night with Cheryl, just to relax, have fun. She's once again blown away by the relationships she's found in this competition—platonic or otherwise—that have grown so strong, so real. She barely gets any sleep, and next thing she knows, it's time to get up, to styling, ready for a plethora of interviews. Yet, she still can't stop smiling.

It's the end of another day when she finally gets to the hotel, to a bed of her own. It's a bit strange, sleeping without Fleur in a bunk beneath her.

She falls asleep wit her phone in her hand, mid-texting Charlie. She falls asleep with a smile on her face.

And she doesn't feel sad at all.

**Author's Note:**

> okay, so i know the ot4 where barely in this sorry :( and also, in case you were worried from the title, this isn't the end of my ot5 series. they'll be something for the final, of course, and there might possibly be something coming up taking place at Parisa's 21st, but no promises :)  
> oh, and i almost forgot, i made [this](http://sansa-swifts.tumblr.com/post/104649932469/my-ot5-feels-needed-picture-form-read-my-writing) photoset of the ot5 on tumblr!  
> thank you so much to anyone and everyone that's been keeping up with this series. i don't think without hearing from y'all about how much you liked these that this series would've continued on this far. every kudos, every comment, every ask in my tumblr ask box, literally means the world to me. love ya <3


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